Every single night, under the gleam of the blue moon, a mysterious black shadow will lingered eerily in the dark, crept suspiciously in the wood, and aimed only to this one place, where he always sneaked inside the bedroom, silently--to feed his relieve. He wasn’t the dirty villain. He was someone in disguise. He was...

A dark mantle swept across the sky as the night went on the land of north world, where everybody was enjoying their deep slumbers. There was a black, firm figure—calm upon the snow, still within the cold--standing by a smoky-chimney’s cottage.

        The wood acknowledged him as Tao, an unfortunate yet abnormal boy who suffered a curse of hare. He was neither human nor animal, but both, besides a creature, indeed. This orphan lived in the wood with other unique creatures like him. He couldn’t be as his normal self until the sun was set. However, it was hard to accept his nature when came to this one person and he attempted to keep in disguise.

        Tao inched forward and stopped by the window, boring his eyes through it. He was gazing intently at a girl who was sleeping peacefully inside her bedroom, his sweet feel in his heart. Once he set his eyes on her, he found himself disabled to turn away. Just by the time, a small smile of pleasure tucked on his lips.

        The sleeping human girl was his best friend.  He called her Mao since he befriended her when she accidently got lost in the wood and he helpfully led the way out.  It was a long time ago where their childhood age took place. She was once living with her single father a few months ago; before he fell sick and blew his last breath.

       Gently, he sat on the edge of her bed, just spending his night by watching over her. She had grown up very well. Her shining black hair had got longer, beautifully. Sometimes, she snored and shifted like a child. Once again, Tao did what his mind pleased as a slow chuckle echoed harmoniously in the room.

        As the biggest star was about to rise on the horizontal line of east, he disappeared back to the cold, thin air and away without a slight recognition from anybody.

...

        It was another winter night—early—where Mao was out of her house for a while to collect firewood at the backyard to be replaced inside the fireplace in her cottage. When the urge consoled, she looked up at the dark sky. The night was pretty different from the previous. It was wonderful, as always, but with hidden sense of warning as her eyes averted from the full moon.

        Putting back her view to the firewood, she reached her hand out to pick up one of them. But, a sound of crashing bushes behind her back shut her action. Quickly, she whirled around as suspicion started to fill her mind of curiosity, where she slithered her eyes all over the darkness. She took a step forward, two, three and multiple times of steps until she found herself standing right in front of the bushes. Peeping here and there, there was nothing welcomed her view. “It’s just wind.” She assured and spun her body to the front but her head still tilted backwards on the bushes.

        Just when she faced the front, her eyes were rounded. Her silent gasped could be heard clearly as a couple of wolves came sniffling her way. Her ears suddenly caught back her late father’s voice of warning towards the dangerous prey called, wolf. One of them looked up and said, “There’s no chance for you to flee away.”

        “Your smell is all over this place.” The other spoke between its fangs, reminding her that there were others, either creatures or animals will got her down.

        “Go away!” She rebuffed in total panic that was obvious in her yell. In the other hand, they just chuckled while took a few steps closer, looked famished and hungry.  

        “Prepare to be eaten!” With their yelp, she crossed her arms above her head and gave in to the fate. A tiny drop of tear rolled down her cheek in misery of sombre.

        Out of sudden, a muffled voice of stabbing found its way to get into the auditory canal of her ears. And then, it was silent that took over them. Bit by bit, she decreased her hand, prying through her fingers.

        There was a person in black stood between the lying wolves that were gory on the snow. The hood that covered the person’s face was hanging on his nose. His breathe were in the state of hurry with his mouth slightly agape. Mao descended her hands to her side, examining the person who was just killing the wolves a while ago. The oblivious of his face only shown his pretty lips. The corners of his upper lips twitched up naturally in a delicate way. Yet, they displayed the familiarization of somebody’s.  

        It took a moment for her to realize the face of someone that she missed so much. Gradually, her expression lit up in remembrance as she walked closer to him. “Tao...is that you?” She asked, reaching out her hand.

        He quickly backed away without a spur word of answer. She could see the hesitant shone on his face. She walked closer to him, even more, to make sure, but, he still stepped backwards in wary. Strangely this time, an expression of hurt had switched with his hesitancy.

        Unexpectedly, he bent down with a soft groan, clutching on his pain body. An uneasy feeling was abusing him. He knew the time was coming, the time of--once in a blue moon--he will transform into a human-like hare. It was only at the night of the full moon and the fully illuminated orb was hung...tonight.

        Clutching his hands on the snow, he threw his head back until the hood that covered his face sled open. He screamed in burden, breaking the silent of his transformation. Now, his face had fully revealed and there was no room for explanation from him. Taking a glance at Mao, he found her awe expression with her hand clasped against .

        His heart wrenched. He felt miserable. As fast as light, he flashed off into the wood. While, the daunting Mao was shaking miserably in her word, “T...Ta..Tao?”

        Spur-of-the-moment, she ran into the wood, hoping to search for him. But, she had forgotten the main thing about the wood. It was where all the dangerous creatures bound to live...

        “Tao, wait!” ...it was where the dead greeted people who lost their sane.

The only voice of human girl echoed through the dark wood, slaying the contra of her and the unsafe place as she went immersed into the earthy scent.

...

        Locked up in worried, Mao strolled forward and even deeper into the wood. Every creepy sounds that rung inside her ears made her head turned left and right in uneasiness. Though, she never set her eyes to the front until her head bumped into, seemed likely a person, hard back. Instantly, she grinded to a halt before curiosity took over her, making her cocked her head to the blocker.

        A gasp replaced her silent self as she saw the fur on his neck and the bobbed up muscles on his back, shoulder and arm. To his leisure, the beast turned around with a huff. She was taken aback as his face was right on her view. A pair of dark with reddish tints that coloured his deep eyes stared back at her. Second in thought, she could describe that his face held one thing...fierce. 

        Instantly, she took a few of big steps backward with a bead of sweat sled down her face. Her heart rate were unusual than ever, thumping rapidly that made her shook dramatically. The wood’s villain dashed forward and stood right in front of her.

        “Something...wrong?” He muttered hoarsely with his fearsome gaze. Watching her frightened face, he flashed to her side and caught her by her waist. “Hm?”

        He blew the cold air against her cheek. “You’re my feast tonight.” Tightening his arm on her, he murmured against her ear, slightly sniffing her scent out of her. Being the victim, she couldn’t stand the fear thumping inside. A hysterical scream expressed out of as she struggled in his arm.

        Meanwhile, as fast as his flash, he clasped his palm on with his devilish coo, “Uh-uh,” making her voice muffled in his hand.

        Coming down the pike, a black flash dashed their way and pushed the beast roughly aside. But the beast didn’t even fall to the ground. Instead, he lost his grasp on her from the sudden hit. Losing his patience, he growled in fury and his eyes got even darker. “Don’t...disturb...ME!”

        His snap was sent along with his combo attack until Tao was tossed aside by the big tree. “Let her go, Yixing. I found her first!” He bellowed and got back to his feet, trying to save Mao from the beast’s grip.

        “Too late, Tao.” Yixing scoffed sarcastically and vanished even deeper ahead with Mao, sending a blow of wind across Tao’s face.  

        “You’re not going anywhere.” Tao fled too and set to his fast lopes, clenching a tight fist. His eyes changed even sharper and it was not the good condition of him, which, he began to play along.

           ...

        At a distance, Yixing pace had became slower. The fur on his body also began to wear out, as well as the bobbed up muscles on his back. His eyes started to be normal and more human as he hitched on his breath.

         “Ah, not now.” He whined, getting tired on his quick transformation. For a moment, he glanced at Mao’s faint face that delivered a feel of guilt to him.

...

        Tao tried to keep himself in sane as he found that Mao’s scream didn’t echo again in the wood. His expression grew worry. He was going to catch up with them when his sharp eyes spotted the human form of Yixing. He wandered on his own cursed form, just as a smirk spread on his lips. He took the chance and hardly, struck against Yixing from behind. The impact was doubled over and he had thrown at out-lying place and out of his view. Sighing in victory, he held Mao securely in his arms.

        At the time, he just realized that the black fur of his hare form had gone. It was his turn to transform back to his human being. Covering the hood above his head, he carried her home, feeling regret for everything he did. If it wasn’t him who fled into the wood on the first place, she will not bump into Yixing at the last.  

        Gently, he laid her on the bed and tucked the blanket over her body. Waiting for the dawn, he stared at her with his never-ending smile. The cover was crumpled as he sat right beside her. It only took a few moments before he did collapse on the plush mattress too. Certainly, they had been tempted by their fatigue.

...

        In the next day which was most likely in the bottom of the daytime, Mao woke up from her long day sleep. It was the time which her head ached and exhausted fell over her body. However, she didn’t put the last night event to words. She thought it was one of her dream, merely. But, instantly her mind was cut off as she recognized Tao’s clothes lied besides her. She wondered why they were here.

         At the same time, an exact voice of him was heard calling her name a few times. “Mao!” She turned her head to the left and right, aiming her eyes everywhere.

       “Mao!” There it sounded again. Quickly, she jumped off her bed and found no one—specifically Tao—nearer. Thus, she continued scurrying here and there with many thoughts flooded her head until she stopped by the wooden chair near the bookshelf.

        “Mao!” She examined the rock chair placed strategically at the corner of her room and headed down towards it. But, there was no one, although she was confident that his voice came from there. Once again, her name was being called without being hit by the tedium.

        “Mao!” She squatted across the chair and found a fluffy white cottontail with a pair of black long-ears was hiding behind the stand. He looked up at her with his shining eyes and scooted backwards in embarrassment.  Stunned, she reached out and held him in her arms with quizzical look slapped on her face.

        “Tao?” She chided again. The cottontail ducked his head even lower and softly replied, but his sharp eyes remained sharp as he peeped at her once in a while.

        “Yes?”

        On the other hand, she blinked at him and her face was almost as motionless as the foggy window... before a giggle burst out from . She gawked at him in bewilderment as she knew it was true.

        “You don’t feel afraid of freak like me?” He cocked upwards. Mao shook a couple of times.

        “No. I knew it was you all along.”

        “You did? Last night?” Once again, she shook.

        “No. It was since I met you.” She broke into an endearing smile.

        “How?” His voice got into whisper.

        “There’s no disguise can hide one’s true character, Tao. At least, not from me, although you’ve both forms to be hide, but they’re secrets. You can’t hide your secrets from me, your best friend.”

        She hugged the cottontail, feeling relieved. But suddenly, she landed on her back as something heavy overlapped on top of her while something fluffy was against her palm. Turning aside, his head was right beside her. Both of them jolted back--taken aback. He inched backwards, didn’t dare to face the front and snatched the cover to his body as he whirled around to opposite direction. She did the same and quickly covered her eyes also the opposite view was safe.

        “Sorry.” He apologized, running the fabric to his and covered the tattoo craved on his lower nape and one side of his rib. Moments later, his face softened--out of sudden--as a smile drawn exquisitely on his lips.

...

        It was one velvety night when the moon had turned crescent like a croissant. It was when the time had stopped spinning for them, to  cuddle together on their seat at the edge of the bed, staring onto the dark blue sky that was somehow getting clear at night by night, decorated with pearly dim stars. They talked mushily to each other with their laughter, giggle, and snicker. It was also, when they had shared their feeling to reality.  

        He stared closely at her with strong expression. His disguise for all this time was no use, at the end. Shutting their eyes, they leant closer to each other. His delicate lips touched gently on the space between her eyes and brushed lower until it stopped right on the fit place, where their lips moved in sync. Engulfed in intimacy, they savoured the sweetness with their never ending smiles. 

Then End

LikaDelson  on Dec 12, 2012 07:02:46 says: x
This seems nice, I'll be waiting for you to update it ^^ 

Lowra98  on Dec 27, 2012 11:29:14 says about chapter 2: x
BUNNIES :D MWAHAHAHAHAHA OMG HE WOULD LOOK SO ADORABLE <3